Automaton
device · 1738 · Early modern era
A mechanical figure that performs set movements; Vaucanson’s automata.
What it is made of
- Cam — has part. Cams set the figures’ movements.
- Spring — has part. The mainspring stores the energy.
Principles and materials it uses
- Program control of a machine — uses. The sequence of movements is “recorded” in cams and cylinders.
- Brass — is made of. The movement is brass.
- Wood — is made of. The figures are wooden.
History: what it evolved from and what it influenced
- Jacquard loom — inspired. Vaucanson, the maker of automata, built an automatic loom whose ideas Jacquard used.